Makers of Plavix estimated to have sold $100+ million worth of drug in Hawaii

Hawaii Attorney General David M. Louie filed a lawsuit in the First Circuit Court on Wednesday pursuing civil penalties and disgorgement of profits for deceptive and unfair marketing practices related to the blockbuster antiplatelet drug Plavix.

The suit alleges that Plavix's manufacturers, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis, began deceptively and unfairly labeling and marketing the drug in 1998 by failing to disclose that Plavix has a diminished or no effect on approximately 30 percent of the population because they metabolize the drug poorly, due to their genetic traits or because they take other drugs that affect the body’s ability to metabolize Plavix.

"Some people started taking Plavix instead of aspirin, essentially removing protection they might have had," said Louie.

Plavix does not prevent heart attacks, strokes, or vascular death in such patients. Rather, Plavix puts them at considerable risk for gastrointestinal bleeding and other complications associated with Plavix.

Louie says the drug can cost up 100 times more than aspirin.

"If you take Plavix it might work, but it also might not work. What you should do is talk to your doctor," said Louie.

Louie says no deaths have been reported in Hawaii due to Plavix and that there is a simple swab test that can tell your doctor if Plavix will work for you.

It has been reported that 38-79 percent of Pacific-Islanders and 40-50 percent of East Asians may respond poorly to Plavix due to a genetic predisposition to poorly metabolize the drug.

Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis are also alleged to have deceptively and unfairly failed to disclose that individuals for whom Plavix would not work can be identified through a simple genetic test that was available prior FDA approval of Plavix.

Plavix's manufacturers are also alleged to have deceptively and unfairly labeled and marketed Plavix as being as safe and effective in elderly patients as in younger patients since 2001. In addition, Plavix's makers allegedly deceptively and unfairly promoted Plavix as being more effective and safer than aspirin, which costs roughly one percent of what Plavix costs.

As a result of these statements, consumers took Plavix instead of aspirin, which is often safer than Plavix and equally, if not more, effective than Plavix.

When KITV reached Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi, they provided the following statement:

"Plavix is one of the most studied medicines with over a decade of real-world experience in patients with acute coronary syndrome, recent stroke, recent heart attack and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Plavix has been prescribed to more than 115 million patients worldwide, including more than 50 million in the United States. We will not comment on pending litigation."

Plavix's U.S. sales peaked at $6.6 billion in 2011. It is estimated that Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis made tens of millions in profits by virtue of Plavix sales in Hawaii, which are estimated at well over one hundred million dollars since 1998. The total number of Plavix prescriptions in Hawaii since 1998 is more than one million.

The Attorney General seeks the maximum civil penalty of $10,000 for each deceptive or unfair act that Plavix's manufacturers committed in relation to the drug's labeling and marketing in Hawaii, an additional civil penalty of $10,000 for each such deceptive or unfair act that was directed towards the elderly, and disgorgement of all profits they obtained by way of Plavix sales.

Please contact the Plavix Response Team at (808) 524-1433 if you believe you have been a victim of such conduct.

Good evening, and thanks for joining us. I'm Paula Akana. Hawaii's attorney general filed suit today against the maker of the drug Plavix--- used by MILLIONS across the US and Hawaii. This is tonight's top story at 5 PLAVIX is a widely used drug.... Marketed to work much like aspirin to prevent... Heart attack, stroke or vascular death. State attorney general David Louie filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the manufacturers and distributors of PLAVIX ...alleging unfair and deceptive acts in marketing.... Labeling and sale of Plavix in Hawaii. That's because of a genetic predisposition that poorly metabolizes the drug. Louie says since 1998 more than ONE MILLION Plavix prescriptions have been written in Hawaii. The state itself paid for plavix for some of its medicaid patients. And he alleges the makers deceptively and unfairly promoted Plavix as better than aspirin-- 4:51- 4:59 SOME PEOPLE STARTED TAKING PLAVIX INSTEAD OF ASPIRIN ESSENTIALLY REMOVING PROTECTION THEY MIGHT HAVE HAD Louie says no deaths have been reported here due to Plavix. But he says it cost up to 100 times more than aspirin. 6:32-6:43 IF YOU TAKE PLAVIX, IT MIGHT WORK, BUT IT ALSO MIGHT NOT WORK. WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IS TALK TO YOU DOCTOR Louie says there is a simple swab test that can tell your doctor if plavix will work for you. We reached out to Plavix manufacturers Bristol-Meyers Squibb and Sanofi... They sent this statement: "Plavix is one of the most studied medicines with over a decade of real-world experience in patients with acute coronary syndrome, recent stroke, recent heart attack and peripheral arterial disease . Plavix has been prescribed to more than 115 million patients worldwide, including more than 50 million in the United States. We will not comment on pending litigation." The state has hired law firm Cronin and Fried to handle the case. The suit seeks a maximum civil penalty of 10- thousand dollars for EACH deceptive or unfair act committed .... And an additional civil penalty of 10- thousand dollars for each deceptive or unfair act directed towards the elderly. And the giving up of profits

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